Projects underway include Route 11/Main Street, I-81 truck climbing lanes and Route 11/660 (Railroad Drive) roundabout
BRISTOL – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is keeping Smyth County bustling with construction activity, with one project completed, three underway and two coming soon.
Most recently, VDOT completed a project to improve the intersection of Route 11 at Rifton Drive. The project aims to improve safety by separating Route 11 through traffic from traffic turning south onto Route 11 from Rifton Drive.
Use added caution at the intersection of Route 11 and Rifton Drive as motorists become familiar with the changes at the intersection.
Three projects are ongoing in Smyth County:
This Fall, VDOT plans to hold a public involvement opportunity for the replacement of the Route 660 (McMullin Bridge), where the preliminary design of the project as well as next steps will be reviewed with the public. An effort will begin this fall to select a design-build team for the project. The team will be responsible for finishing the project design and constructing the project, which is anticipated to move to construction in Spring 2026.
In November 2025, a second roundabout project on Route 11 will be advertised for bids to the construction industry.
The purpose of the project is to build a single-lane roundabout at the intersection of Routes 11 and 660 on the south side of Interstate 81 near mile marker 40.9 in Smyth County. The project will move to the right-of-way phase this fall and construction is anticipated to begin in early 2026. It will take approximately 18 months to construct the roundabout.
Roundabouts are shown to improve safety by reducing the number of points where vehicles can cross paths and eliminating the potential for right-angle and head-on crashes. Roundabouts also increase efficiency and are cost effective in the long term versus a traffic signal.
Except for the McMullin bridge project which is funded through VDOT’s State of Good Repair program and the I-81 truck climbing lanes, each project is funded through VDOT's SMART SCALE program. SMART SCALE includes an application and scoring process to evaluate the projects statewide based on key factors such as improving safety and contributing to economic development.
Last updated: October 2, 2024